Economists Michael Baker, Johnathan Gruber and Kevin Milligan have just produced a remarkably important research study. We all know about the studies (here, here and here) that show that Quebec’s $5 a day child care had really significant positive impacts on women’s labour force participation. The employment rate of Quebec women went from substantially below the rest of Canada to substantially above. The fixed, predictable parent fee removed a major barrier to mothers’ employment. And Pierre Fortin and his colleagues (here) have given us good reason to believe that these increases in women’s employment generated by predictable parent fees brought in enough additional tax revenue to more than pay for the costs of the child care program. But this paper by Baker, Gruber and Milligan goes farther and deeper than that.
EXPANDING PUBLIC EDUCATION
Evidence: Economic Arguments
Child Care Investments Really Do Pay Off
Continuing CWELCC Agreements Wise Economic Decision (2024)
The Prosperity Project’s new report, Giving Parents Money Does Not Solve Child Care Problems by Dr. Gordon Cleveland, argues why creating an early learning and child care system advantages families. and the country, more than vouchers for parents.
Economic Rationale for Pre-Kindergarten (2023)
Given the considerable economic and social benefits to expanding early learning, and the challenges to creating universal access through licensed care, it is worth highlighting the merits of continuing to expand early learning and child care through the public school system.
Evaluation of Ontario's JK and K Program (2021)
Ontario’s current government has discussed making some drastic changes to Full-Day Kindergarten. Any one of these changes would dramatically alter the current model and significantly damage an already successful program.
ECE as Key Economic Infrastructure (2021)
Investments in early childhood education and childcare can help put Canada on a higher trend economic growth path. A high-quality ELCC program that young children can attend for several years can provide several benefits.
A significant part of the solution to early learning and child care resides in our schools by offering universal pre-kindergarden for 4-year-olds as an extension of public education.